From Carina of Love Me Do Photography... Photographing Sharleen and Andy's wedding was a dream come true for any photographer. Weather-wise, it was a perfect September day, and Sharleen and Andy looked phenomenal. Sharleen thought of everything when it came to her Bridesmaids and guests, making sure everyone had what they needed to be comfortable and have fun throughout the day. I loved that they opted to walk from the hotel to the venue for photos, because we got some of the best photos on our five minute walk down the street. Everyone was in such good spirits and was truly excited for the couple. Lots of tears were shed and smiles were all around. Being there and photographing their evening, you really got a sense of how great Sharleen and Andy are, and how much their friends and family genuinely love them. Because I know how much Sharleen and Andy value photography, I feel so honored to have been picked to photograph their wedding.

From the Bride... Andy and I often joke that we're like the same person. Our relationship is effortless, and we're so eerily on the same wavelength that to be with each other is almost to be with ourselves. We both know how hard that is to find, so the very likely prospect of never having met is scary to imagine. We didn't swipe right, work together, or have a single mutual friend — I happened to sit in an empty seat next to him at a fundraiser, and he struck up a conversation. Had any single circumstance been different, we'd never have met. So, despite the fact that we're both skeptics with very different backgrounds — he's a born-and-bred New Yorker, I'm from Ottawa, Canada — our story has turned us into reluctant believers of sorts.

A major style inspiration for our big day was the fact that I've always known I wanted a black tie wedding. I wanted guests to have an excuse to dust off their tuxes and gowns and really bring it! With the help of my planner, Sojourner of Erganic Design (who was a total godsend and came recommended by Be Inspired PR), this led to a "modern glam" aesthetic with a geometric triangle theme and a color palette of black, ivory, and mixed metallics of gold, copper, and rose gold. I've always been drawn to darker, moodier elements, so we incorporated that into style accents — black stationery with gold foil, some dark flowers, and black candles.

This preference also led to the selection of our photographer, Carina of Love Me Do Photography. So many portfolios looked the same to me, with the same whitewash, color palettes, filters, and poses. At first sight, Love Me Do Photography's work jumped out at me. It was just as beautiful and dramatic as any, but with raw emotion, grit, and split-second moments I felt were missing in others'. Going with them was one of the easiest (and best!) decisions we made.

When venue-hunting, our two requirements were a great "New York" feel and a space that had character. We saw many venues that had one without the other. At the suggestion of a friend, we checked out Battery Gardens and instantly fell in love with their location, their floor-to-ceiling windows, and the epic view. Since our ceremony would be onsite, we loved how there were distinct, separate areas for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception (this was harder to find than we expected). Exchanging vows while the sun sets, with the Statue of Liberty in the background? Yes, please.

Despite some ominous weather forecasts, we got super lucky with the weather, and it was a dreamy September day – warm and sunny with a few clouds and a great breeze for photos. The whole affair went off nearly without a hitch, save for the linen rentals not showing up, my bustle loops breaking, and a guest arriving with an unexpected plus-one! If anything, these hiccups just made for good stories.

People warn you that the day whips by in a blur, and they aren't kidding, but time did almost seem to stop at certain moments: watching Andy's eyes twinkle as he read me his vows, listening to my sisters sing a song we used to sing as kids during their speech, hearing my dad laugh as we danced. Andy and I are both pragmatic to a fault in many ways, so justifying a big wedding wasn't always easy, but it was truly a special, spectacular day, and we couldn't be happier with it.